Award-winning Author Charlie Mackesy has partnered with National Literacy Trust, Penguin Random House UK and BBC Teach to share free educational resources inspired by his beloved bestseller The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse.
Since the publication of the book in 2019, and 2022 animated film adaption, Charlie has received messages, pictures, hand-made books and drawing from teachers and children who have engaged with the story in classrooms and online platforms.
In response, a collection of resources has been produced to assist teachers with their lesson plans, assemblies, and performances providing an opportunity for children to explore the messages of the book.
Together with writer and musician Charlotte Freud, Charlie has produced a musical for schools adapted from the Oscar winning animated short film currently available on BBC iPlayer.
Written to be performed in schools by children from Years 1-6. A playscript, sheet music, sing-along learning videos, performance tracks and backdrop artworks will all be available for free on the BBC Teach platform from 3 November 2023.
The musical play has six easy-to-learn new songs for children to perform both as soloists and ensembles – allowing groups of all sizes and ages to take part. The performance-based resource pack engages children in the book’s messages through interactive sessions.
Charlie Mackesy says “I hope perhaps it opens up the world a bit more to children, giving them a deeper understanding of the messages of the book. I hope learning the lines as simple mantras will allow them to repeat them all their lives, and stay in their hearts.
“I hope it gives teachers and children alike, permission to explore – feel free to do what they like – perform every word faithfully; or change some lines as they see best; leave out whole scenes or just rehearse and perform one of them; workshop it, make it different or even find themselves creating a while new play all of their own. I hope they enjoy it.”
In partnership with the National Literacy Trust and Penguin Random House UK, a resource pack including Assembly Plans and Activity Packs for KS1 And KS2 has been made available in celebration of World Kindness Day (13th November).
These resources link directly to the national curriculum, in particular the PSHE Association’s programme of study, and explore ways we can show kindness to one another and invite children to think about their own wellbeing.
Partner and publisher of The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, Penguin Random House UK, will also donate books to over 64 primary schools for a World Kindness Day “kindness drive”.
A gesture followed by Puffin’s World of Stories team, who will be gifting over 450 copies of The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse: The Animated Story (published to accompany the animated short film) to teachers and librarians attending their regional networking sessions during November.
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